What is a preposition in Spanish?
Prepositions are special particles that can be one word ( con , de , para ) or a short phrase ( en forma de , en vez de ) that allow you to show the connection between two things, typically noun + noun or noun + pronoun.
Concisely and efficiently, you can tell about a purpose, manner, direction, or place.
Spanish prepositions don’t change their forms based on gender, number, or tense; they remain the same across all sentences.
Look at these examples and press buttons to listen to their pronunciation:
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Main groups of prepositions in Spanish
They are classified by function, including spatial, temporal, directional, causal, modal, possessive, and oppositional.
Prepositions are also divided by structure, simple and compound, and here we are going to go over the most used ones.
Simple prepositions
The list of prepositions in Spanish with the basic structure has surprisingly many connotations for each one. For example, a is capable of replacing three prepositions in English: to, towards, and at. Check the most common words with examples in context and translations.
| Preposition | Meaning in English | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
a
|
toward, to, at |
Camino
|
I walk toward the station. |
|
de
|
of, from, about |
Juan habló
|
Juan talked about the new campaign on TikTok. |
|
en
|
at, in, on |
Nos vemos
|
We’ll meet at the restaurant. |
|
por
|
because of, for, by |
Reservamos el hotel
|
We booked the hotel online. |
|
para
|
for, in order to |
Ahorro dinero
|
I save money in order to buy a house. |
|
con
|
with |
Pablo habló
|
Pablo spoke with his boss about the new project. |
|
sin
|
without |
Café
|
Coffee without sugar, please. |
The meaning of words such as por and para can be expressed by for, by, through, because or in order to, based on the context.
Compound prepositions
These Spanish prepositions examples are composed of several words, ranging from two to four, known as locuciones preposicionales.
| Preposition | Meaning | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
cerca de
|
near, close to |
Mi apartamento está
|
My apartment is near the university. |
|
delante de
|
in front of |
El autobús se para
|
The bus stops in front of the supermarket. |
|
a pesar de
|
in spite of, even though |
Trabajo aquí
|
I work here despite the distance. |
|
después de
|
after |
Siempre tomo café
|
I always have coffee after lunch. |
|
antes de
|
before |
Debes revisar el documento
|
You should review the document before signing it. |
They can’t be separated and should be written as follows.
Most common Spanish prepositions
The most frequently used preposition words in Spanish were categorized into three groups: position, direction, and time (however, the list is not exhaustive).
Some of them repeat in different tables because the same word can express both time and location.
Prepositions of position
This list of Spanish prepositions is used to answer the question word where.
Examples:
De and the masculine article el join, forming del.
Prepositions of direction
When indicating the direction of something, you will need to use the following options:
Examples:
Spanish prepositions are not equivalent to English, and the word por can be translated as along, through, by and past based on what you want to say.
Prepositions of time
Speaking of deadlines, duration of something, and exact time, you’ll use these words:
Examples:
When speaking about time ranges (from… to), use the combination of words de… a.
Describing your routine and facts will allow you to stick these variations to your memory.
Preposition in Spanish with verbs
Not all Spanish prepositions pair with verbs. Usually, only simple ones are used in fixed phrases, but not the entire list. The best way to memorize them is to learn them as a unified unit.
Unlike English, the meaning of these short phrases is always direct. You are required to use a verb with a specific preposition. For example, it is correct to say casarse con (marry with), but it’s not correct to say casarse a (marry to).
Below, you will find the most common combinations with examples.
Verbs + A
Use it when you want to emphasize the movement of an object or person toward something.
- Ir a:
Voy a la universidad todos los días. - Aprender a: Mi hijo
aprendió a nadar el verano pasado. - Empezar a:
Empiezo a entender la gramática española.
Verbs + En
You choose it for sentences where you want to specify a location or focus on a particular thing.
- Pensar en:
Pienso en ti todo el tiempo. - Consistir en: El plan
consiste en tres fases. - Entrar en:
Entramos en la sala sin hacer ruido.
Verbs + Con
This Spanish prepositions list will help you note that you are doing something with someone or in relation to someone.
- Salir con:
Salgo con mis amigos los viernes. - Romper con:
Rompió con su novio la semana pasada. - Enojarse con: Me
enojé con mi hermano por llegar tarde.
Verbs + De
It is common to use de when you want to highlight that something has been completed (e.g., stopped smoking, arrived).
- Acabar de:
Acabo de llegar a casa. - Dejar de:
Dejé de fumar hace tres años. - Terminar de:
Terminé de leer el libro anoche.
To confidently form sentences with this grammar, you need to have a strong base for verbs and nouns.
Common Mistakes
The distinction in the rules between Spanish and English makes even native speakers confused about certain rules, so it is natural to make mistakes. Read about these hiccups to ensure that you can avoid them.
Literal translation from English
The relationship between things in Spanish is expressed in a different way compared to English. When expressing your ideas in Spanish, you may:
- Use another preposition, different from English.
- Require no preposition at all.
|
Bueno a las matemáticas.
|
Bueno para las matemáticas.
|
|
Escuchar a música.
|
Escuchar música.
|
Read a lot of texts and listen to audio in Spanish to imprint the usage rules on your memory.
Confusing por and para
Both por and para can be translated as for in English, but express different meanings:
- Para — purpose
- Por — cause
|
Estudio por aprobar el examen.
|
Estudio para aprobar el examen.
|
|
Llegué tarde para el tráfico.
|
Llegué tarde por el tráfico.
|
Para is used in sentences when you mention that you do something for the future (in order to), while por is used to discuss present and past (because of).
En vs. a for the direction of movement
You use en when talking about a static position and use a when mentioning movement toward something.
|
Vivo a Barcelona.
|
Vivo en Barcelona.
|
|
Voy en casa.
|
Voy a casa.
|
Choose a when using motion verbs (ir, llegar) and en with estar (static position).
Practice exercises
Having all the nuances covered, from answering the question, What are prepositions in Spanish? to highlighting examples and common weak areas, we invite you to test your understanding of the grammar with these exercises:
Practical tips
Common Spanish prepositions can have different meanings depending on the context, and their logic is not always obvious; in cases where the distinction is subtle, almost invisible, it is essential to practice them correctly. Below you will find how:
Tip 1. Read, listen, and watch
Watch videos in Spanish, listen to songs and short stories, and read adapted texts tailored to your level to work with grammar beyond exercises and explanations. Choose the content you like and just switch the language to Spanish, paying attention to prepositions.
Tip 2. Play flashcard games
Platforms like Koto Spanish offer various exercises where you can practice prepositions in Spanish list, as long as you need to distinguish them. They make learning Spanish frictionless.
Tip 2. Hunt for prepositions
Wanting to polish the pair por and para, review news and opinion articles to spot and highlight them. You will learn the usage of en and a by reading travel blogs and understanding the patterns with contextual examples used by native speakers.
Llegamos a Barcelona a las doce. Nuestro hotel está en el centro de la ciudad, cerca de Las Ramblas. La habitación es grande con dos camas y con un balcón. Desde el balcón, vemos el mar.
Conclusion
Prepositions are small particles, but they tune words together, helping you to convey your idea correctly. And as you can see, the list of prepositions in Spanish is quite long, so it requires double the effort to grasp the rules and exceptions.
Interactive exercises with immediate feedback will help you understand how to use prepositions efficiently, providing you with common phrases, patterns, and explanations of the details that will simplify the learning process. Immerse yourself in the language to sound natural and confident.
Practical usage FAQ
De is the most used preposition in Spanish. It appears in many sentences, allowing us to talk about origin, possession, time, professions, and more.
Por and para can both mean for; however, depending on the context, you need to use por (for reasons, duration, and so on) or para (for deadlines, opinions, and goals).
Prepositions are tricky and they require an understanding of nuances, such as movement, time, and position. You need to dedicate enough time to studying patterns and writing sentences to produce them naturally.
Speaking of the simple, one-word prepositions, there are approximately 23. There is no concrete figure, because some become archaic (so, cabe), and they are rarely used, and are excluded from the list.
On the contrary, prepositional phrases include hundreds of variations (acerca de, a causa de, antes de, and so on).
Absolutely. For instance, de can be used in 10+ contexts, such as origin, cause, time, content, material, topic, and so on. En is used with locations, time (when mentioning years), manner, and language.
